Bayonet-clutch.



R. HUGHES.

BAYONET CLUTCH.

APPLICATION man mac. 22. m1.

vemtoz FFTCE.

H s is H v RUPERT HUGHES, or new YORK, N. Y.

' BAYONET-CLUTGH.

Speoiflcdtidnof Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 19, 1918.

Application filed December 22, 1917. Serial No. 208,399.

'To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, RUPERT HUGHES, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident ofthe city, county; and State of New York, have invented anlmprovement in Bayonet-Clutches, of which the following is a specification. I 5

This inventionrelates generally to weapons and particularly to thecla's s of weapons including bayonet equipped rifles, or *the like.

The principahobject of the invention is to provide a device-herein shown as an attachment, by which an opponents weapon can be caught, his 7 blow parried or his weapon wrenched from his grasp.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been selected for purposes of illustration, and is herein shown as an attachment to be applied to ajrifle near the muzzle for use in bayonet'fighting. The accompanying drawings show an illustrative embodiment of the'inven-tiong'and therein I v Figure 1 shows the'device attached to a rifle of a standard type;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged View ofthe device;

Fig. 3 is aside elevation, and

Fig. 4 is a section on the line H of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings a rifle 10 of the usual construction is shown. A bayonet 11 is afliXed to the rifle in the usual way.

Near the muzzle of the rifle the attachment 12, which may be termed a bayonet clutch is fastened by metal straps 13 and 14. The bayonet clutch comprises a substantially U- shaped member having an inner arm 15 securely fastened to the straps 13 and 1 1 by any suitable means such as rivets 16. The outer arm 17 is bent back along the line of the lower arm thus forming a hook, which, when the device is attached as shown in Fig. 1, opens toward the muzzle of the rifle.

A latch member 18 is provided to close the open end of the hook and it is preferably pivoted at 19 to the arm 15. This latch is held in position to close the opening by a spring 20 coiled about the pivot pin '21. The arm 15 of the clutch is slotted so that the catch lever 18 may be pressed downwardly to allow an opponents weapon sliding along the rifle to pass into the hook. Thereafter the spring will raise the catch lever 18 to the position shown, thus preventing the withdrawal from the hook of an opponents weapon by movement longitudinally of the rifle shown, or in fact by movement in any direction except that perpendicular to the plane of the clutch.

The bayonet clutch may be attached to the rifle by any suitable means, preferably by the metal straps 13 and 14, before referred to. These straps may be tightened upon the stock of the rifle by set screws 22 and 23. The construction of these screws may be identical and a description of one will suffice for the other. The straps are provided with bosses 2st and 25 preferably formed integral therewith. The set screws run freely through the bosses 24: and are threaded in the bosses25. The screws are provided with cross-pins 26 for use in tightening the screws and the ends of the screws may be peened over so that they cannot be entirely withdrawn from the bosses :25.

The lower strap 13 may be provided with an upturned lip 27 for the protection of the thumb of the user as the rifle stock is grasped just below the strap.

The particular embodiment of the invention herein shown is intended to be used in bayonet fighting and a suflicient description of its intended operation will be given to show the application and utility of the invention, althrough other methods of use may be developed in practice.

It will be noted that the bayonet clutch is preferably mounted upon the left hand side of the rifle; that being, the side generally used in parrying an opponents thrust. When parrying a blow or thrust by an opponent the users bayonet may be crossed with his opponents bayonet which may strike upon the left hand side, and if the opponents bayonet strikes between the clutch and the end of the users bayonet the user may so manipulate his rill e as to cause his opponent-s bayonet to slide toward him along his own bayonet and it may enter the bayonet clutch and be arrested at the closed end of the hook. Thereupon the catch arm 18 will spring back into place and prevent any further movement of the opponents bayonet along the barrel or away from it except in a direction substantially at right angles to the plane of the clutch member. The angular movement of the crossed weapons will also be limited. By a quick twist or turn, or a depression or elevation of the muzzle of the users rifle his opponents bayonet, being firmly held within the clutch, may be broken or his weapon bayonet clutch will make it possible to get a hold upon an opponents weapon which can be availed of to considerable advantage. In case of an attack upon the side of the weapon unprovided vwith a clutchthe clnt 'oh1 may be brought into actlon and engagement with the opponents weapon by a snnple ro-v tation of the weapon through 180 degrees.

It will be understood that the invention may be variously modified and embodied within the scope of the subjoined claims I claim as my invention:

1. A rifle provided with a. bayonet and having mounted upon its stock adjoining the hilt of the bayonet a hook shaped member opening toward themuzzle of the rifle, and means for closing said opening, said hook shaped member and closing means acting to permit seizure of an opponents weapon and to prevent Withdrawal therethereof .and

2.-A weapon ofthe character described "having an .ofl'set membercadjacentv-its :for-

ward end formingan openingtoward the point of the weapon, and.1neans for closing sald openmgand for permittlng entranceto such member from the point of the Weapon, said oifset member and closmg meansacting to permit seizure of-an opponents weapon and to prevent withdrawaltherefrom except longitudinally thereof and transverselyjbf said first mentioned WGZLPOIL 1 ;'3'. A weapon. of the character described having anofiset member adjacentqitszgforward end forming an opening toward the point of the weapon, and means adapted to close said opening perm ttlng entranceto i Copies of t11is patent may be obtained for Wrenched from his grasp. In event the member" from the point of the Weapon and prev enti1 1g egress therefrom in a reverse direction;

4. weapon of the character described having a hook shaped guard opening tofward the point of the weapon and .a spring pressed 'la't'ch normally closing the open end '5. A rifle provided with a bayonet and having mounted uponits stoc'k adjacent the liiltz-of'the bayonet a hook shaped member opening toward the muzzle :of the rifle, and

a spring latch normally closing the opening insa-idwhook shaped member.

- 6-. k'An attachment for rifles provided With a bayonet comprisingza-substantially hook shapedmember. having a catch lever pivoted to onewa'rmthereof and attaching devices "adiaptedtosbe passed aroundthe, stock of the rifle to fix the attachment thereon. 7V 7-. An-attac'hinent for rifles=provided with a bayonet i comprising a snbs'tantially hook shaped member having a'catch-lever pivoted to; one arm thereof, attaching, devices adapted to be passedaround-the'stock -of the rifle ito fix the attachment; thereon, and a lip upon one of said attachingdevicesto form a guard. '8.; A=.device adapted ,tojbeattached to a weaponflf the class, described, ,said device having an entrance portion opening toward theqjoint of the; weapon and perm'itting the entrance of another weapon. therein from the; direction ofthe point of. the weapon to which the device is attached and means to prevent the egress thereof in said direction.

In testimony whereoflqlrave signed my {nameto this specification this nineteenth day of December, 1917.

' v RUPE'RT HUGHES.

five cents each, by address ing'f the {com 551611 of Patents, v ash s qn, 12-02 

